Walt Weiss Sounds Off on Braves Baserunning Issues

Even the best teams in baseball have their issues, but a major one persists on the Atlanta Braves

It hasn't cost the Braves just yet, but it's wise to correct the issue before it does | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

When a team is winning, a hole in their game can normally be overlooked. However, one issue the Atlanta Braves have dealt with all season continues to cause frustration, no matter how often they end up in the win column. 

Two runners were picked off at first base during Tuesday night’s 5-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. Michael Harris II was picked off in the bottom of the fourth by Colin Rea, and Matt Olson was nabbed by Ryan Rolison the following inning. 

Harris’ came back when they were down 2-1. It killed a potential two-out rally where they could have tied the game there. While Olson getting picked off came when the Braves were up 5-2, it was still the third out of the inning. There was a runner on third that could have been an insurance run. 

This wasn’t just an off-night. It’s been a chronic issue all season. They’ve been picked off 10 times, the same number of times from all of 2025. 

Expectations were high, starting all the way back in spring training, for how good baserunning could be this season. That just hasn’t been the case. These mistakes and frustrations haven’t gone unnoticed by the team, and manager Walt Weiss isn’t interested in overlooking them. 

“It’s gotten to a point where we’re going to have to make an adjustment there,” he said after the game on Tuesday. “I don’t think it’s costing us games, but it shouldn’t happen at this rate, and I know we’re trying to do some things different and that type of thing.” 

Weiss acknowledged that the players are going through a change. They’re under a new instructor, first base coach Antoan Richardson. He has faith that the work can be put in, but it’s not anywhere near where it should be. 

“These guys are working their butts off trying to be really good at it. And [first base coach] Antaon [Richardson] has been awesome, and he’s got passion, and he’s accountable. So, that’s just something we got to clean up.” 

The reality is that while it’s not an issue that has been costly, it’s the idea that it could be. Take the two situations from Tuesday night, and keep it where the Braves are down 2-1 or they’re still tied 2-2. These blunders would be looked at more intensely than they already are now. 

Along with the dilemma of the pick-offs, this team isn’t stealing bases at the rate they had hoped. They’ve stolen 21 total as a team on 31 attempts (67%). They’re 21st out of 30 teams in stolen bases and 10th in caught stealing. 

One-third of these stolen bases belong to Ronald Acuña Jr. The existing low number is also top-heavy. 

Perhaps as the baserunning cleans up, that will open the floodgates for the threat that could be looming here. It’s hard to send players when they don’t stay on base long enough to get the green light. 

It’s a month in. Maybe as the season goes on, the tide will start to turn. The recognition of needing adjustments is a good start. How long it may take to translate is anybody’s guess. 

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